Taylor's amazing success on the US Billboard sales charts has far exceeded any other artist over the past 5 1/2 years.

From the longevity of Taylor Swift (2006) to the huge sales of Fearless (2008) and Speak Now (2010), there is no solo artist in US history who has matched Taylor in reaching # 1 album sales for their release year for her first two albums...will Speak Now eventually be her 3rd consecutive # 1 selling studio album?

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2013 update

Taylor is # 1 for album sales of three studio albums based on their release year, and close enough to # 1 for Speak Now that she may eventually have four straight sales leaders.

The five years of # 1 albums by the Beatles, who released in the US after success in the UK, are Taylor's only competition for album sales success based on US Release Year. Whitney Houston's first album was # 1 but not her second, and other artists don't have a sales leader from their debut albums. Elvis Presley is the only solo artist besides Taylor with three career albums which were # 1 in their release year. Whitney Houston is credited with two sales leaders since she sang half of the songs on The Bodyguard Soundtrack. Miles Davis, Pink Floyd, and Journey had the top selling album for two release years.

This list of US album sales by release year as of the week ending March 24, 2013:

2006

01 - 5,336,042 - TAYLOR SWIFT - Taylor Swift
02 - 4,948,432 - ME AND MY GANG - Rascal Flatts
03 - 4,939,689 - DAUGHTRY - Daughtry
04 - 4,872,335 - HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL - Soundtrack
05 - 4,429,361 - FUTURESEX/LOVE SOUNDS - Justin Timberlake
06 - 3,889,701 - THE DUTCHESS - Fergie Jul 29 2012
07 - 3,726,601 - HANNAH MONTANA - Soundtrack May 22 2011
08 - 3,329,025 - B'DAY - Beyonce Jul 29 2012
09 - 3,010,963 - KONVICTED - Akon Jul 29 2012
10 - 2,925,663 - ENJOY THE RIDE - Sugarland Aug 28 2011

2008

01 - 6,723,069 - FEARLESS - Taylor Swift
02 - 4,505,524 - THE FAME - Lady GaGa
03 - 3,792,955 - THA CARTER III - Lil Wayne Feb 24 2013
04 - 3,295,389 - DARK HORSE - Nickelback
05 - 3,123,575 - THE FOUNDATION - Zac Brown Band
06 - 3,071,970 - I AM SASHA FIERCE - Beyonce
07 - 2,850,088 - VIVA LA VIDA - Coldplay Sep 23 2012
08 - 2,782,235 - TWILIGHT - Soundtrack
09 - 2,510,035 - 19 - Adele
10 - 2,312,067 - ONLY BY THE NIGHT - Kings Of Leon


2010

01 - 4,416,311 - RECOVERY - Eminem
02 - 4,324,438 - SPEAK NOW - Taylor Swift
03 - 3,978,415 - NEED YOU NOW - Lady Antebellum
04 - 3,271,349 - MY WORLD 2.0 - Justin Bieber
05 - 2,901,202 - MY KINDA PARTY - Jason Aldean
06 - 2,843,234 - SIGH NO MORE - Mumford & Sons
07 - 2,688,983 - TEENAGE DREAM - Katy Perry
08 - 2,145,948 - THE GIFT - Susan Boyle Dec 30 2012
09 - 1,924,501 - DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS - Bruno Mars
10 - 1,870,124 - PINK FRIDAY - Nicki Minaj Dec 9 2012

2012

01 - 3,545,668 - RED - Taylor Swift
02 - 2,121,367 - BABEL - Mumford & Sons
03 - 1,729,707 - UP ALL NIGHT - One Direction
04 - 1,600,023 - TAKE ME HOME - One Direction
05 - 1,464,167 - BELIEVE - Justin Bieber
06 - 1,365,790 - BLOWN AWAY - Carrie Underwood
07 - 1,259,534 - THE TRUTH ABOUT LOVE - Pink
08 - 1,229,219 - OVEREXPOSED - Maroon 5
09 - 1,213,705 - SOME NIGHTS - Fun.
10 - 1,197,500 - NIGHT TRAIN - Jason Aldean

thanks to oldbloke for the stats!